Trolley



am zo, 1925.

M. W. THOMAS ET AL.

TROLLEY Filed may a, 1922 jan; 2o, 1925.

. 1,523,673 M. w. THOMAS ET AL TROLLEY Flgd May e. 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Streuung:

0E' KENTUCKY.

TRQLLEY.

Application filed May S, 1922.

To all miem, it muy Conca/m.'

Be it known tl at we, lilrronnnn lW. lliioiins and JOHN L. Fnainno, citizens ot thc United StatesI` residing at Ashland, in the county of Boyd and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trolleys, of which the following is a specilication.

rlhis invention relates to an improved trolley and seeks, as one of its principal objects, to provide a device oi' this char eter employing grease reservoirs for the journals ot' the trolley wheel and wherein said reservoirs as well as the wheel may be readily removed trom the trolley harp.

The invention has as a further object to provide a trolley wherein the grease reservoirs will carry end bearings t'or the axle ot the trolley wheel and wherein said reservoirs will be formed as individual units so that thc reservoirs may be displaced tor renewing the bearings as occasion may deniarul.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a trolley wherein the grease reservoirs will be interchangeable so that when the bearings ot the reservoirs have become worn at their lower sides, the trolley wheel with the reservoirs assembled thereon may be reversed side for side within the harp tor disposing` the unworn portions ot the bearings to receive the stress.

The invention has as a :further object to provide a trolley wherein wear upon the bearings may be readily taken up.

Another object of the invention is to provide a trolley wherein lubricant will be constantly fed from the reservoirs through the bearings carried thereby to the journals ot the axle in such manner that the 'full eHectiveness of the lubricant will be realized before the lubricant can escape trom the bearings and wherein thrust washers will be provided to not only receive the wear between the hub of the wheel and the bearings ot the reservoir but to also close such bearings so as to prevent loss or waste of the lubricant.

And the invention has as a still 'further object to provide a trolley embodying conductors for leading the current from the trolley wheel to the harp without passing through the journals ot the wheel to thereby eliminate pitting ot the journals and wherein said conductors will be in the nature ot springs acting to press the thrust Washers Serial No. 559,288.

outwardly into engagement with the ends of the bearings of the reservoirs to maintain said bearings constantly closed.

@ther and incidental objects will appear hereinafter.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of our improved trolley wheel,

Figure 2 is an end view of the device,

Figure 3 is a sectional view on the line 3 3 of Figure l, looking in the direction oi the arrows,

Figure 4 is a detail side elevation of the wheel,

Figure 5 is a detail side elevation ot one of the grease reservoirs ot the device,

Figure 6 is a detail section showing one of the closure valves of the grease reservoirs, and

Figure 7 is a detail perspective view showone ot the conductor springs ot the device as well as one oi' the thrust washers.

ln carrying the invention into eitect, we employ a harp embodying a sleeve 10 adapted to lit over a trolley pole, as conventionally illustrated at 11, and extending from the harp are diverging arms 12 provided with marginal'upstanding reinforcing lianges 13 in one of which is formed a notch 14 at the outer end ot the fork. The sleeve10 is provided with an eye l5 to receive a trolley rope, as conventionally illustrated at 16, and extending through the sleeve and through the pole 11 are rivets or other suitable tastening devices 17 rigidly securing the harp upon the pole.

rlhe trolley wheel is indicated at 18, this wheel being grooved in the usual manner to engage with a trolley wire and provided with spokes 19 supporting a hub 2O in each end of which is a pair of diametrically arranged notches 21. Tightly fitting through the hub is an axle 22 provided at its ends with conoidal journals 23 and connecting the axle to the hub to turn in unison therewith is a locking pin 24. The hub is provided with a central bore 25 therethrough and, as best shown in Figure 3, the ends ot the journals 23 are provided with rounded edges at the ends ot said bore so as to prevent chipping of the journals.

Assembled upon the axle 22 ot the wheel are disc shaped grease reservoirs 26 having iiat inner walls and spherical outer walls in which are formed, as best shown in Figure 5, seats 27 snugly receiving the outerends of the fork l2of the harp. In this connection it will be noted that said seats are formed with straight side walls to coact with the side edges of the fork so that the reservoirs will be rigidly locked against rotation. Mounted upon the reservoirs axially theieof are cup shaped bearings 28 pressed into suitable openings in the flat inner walls of' the reservoirs to lie flush with said Walls and provided at their outer ends with annular flanges 29 tightly fitting through suitable openings in the bottom Walls of the `seats 27. These bearings are formed'to lit the conoidal journals 23 of the axle' 22 and engaging the flanges 29 of said bearings' are keys 30 locking the bearings against rotation. Formed through each of the bearings is a plurality of grease openings 3l disposed to constantly Ifeed grease from the reservoirs into the bearings near the smaller ends thereof. Thus, the bearings will, since said bearings snuglyfit the journals 28, tend to lretain grease therein and, `as will be noted, the grease will be required to travel the major length of the journals before reaching the open ends of the bearings; The yfull effectiveness of the grease will thus' be realized. Preferably, the openings 3l are countersunk at opposite ends thereof so as to minimize Y the possibility of clogging of said openings.

Snugly fitting through the outer curved `walls of the reservoirs are filling valves therefor, each of which includes,v as shown in detail in Figure 6, a casing 32 in which is mounted-a ba-ll valve 33 vnormally held closed by a spring 3l con-fined within the casing. Thus,- the spout of a greasez gun may be enr plo-yed to press the valves 83 open, when the gun may be operated for fillingl the reser- 4voirfs with grease.

Surrounding the axle 22 at the ends of the :hub 20' of the wheel 18 are thrust washers '35 lying vflat against the open end edges of the bearings 28 and extending from saidl washers are, as shown 1n detail rn Figure 7, pairsof laterally directed lugs SGWenga'g-ing in theV notches 2lv in the end of the hub 20 forI locking the washers aga-inst'iota'tion. Fitting over the ends of the axle to lie ibeneath said washers are conductor springs 37 which `are ofa length to' engage at their ends with the side yfaces of the wheel, and formedr in said springs are pairs of openings 38 accommodating the lugs 36 of the washers.- Thiis, the springs are also locked against rotation about ,theV axle and; as will be noted, said-'springs are disposed'at substantially right angles to each other, the pairs of notches2l in the ends .of the hub 20p beingthusV arrangedf Accordingly,- the springs will contact the side. faces .of the wheel at quadrantly spaced pointsv so that current will, followingthecourse of least resistance,

pass through either' one spring or the other to the wasieis 85 andt thence through the reseryoirs'26 to the forks of the harp. The necessity for the current to pass through the bearings 28 and the journals ofithe anleis thus eliminated so'that pitting ofsaid journals will be overcome. `As brought out in Figure 3, the conductor springs are-flexed be had to preventY waste of grease from the bearings. Extending through VtheI fork l2 of the harp, through the flanges 29 Yof the bearings, and through the bore`12'5 of the Aagile 22 of the wheel isv a bolt 39 vupon which is threaded al nut' 40 notched to aceoinniodate a cotter pin 4l extending through the bolt for locking the nut against accidental displacement, As shown in Figure l, this Cotter pin is received within the notchV ll Y inthe llange of the adjacent arm of the harp so that the cotter pin will thus coact between said flange and the bolt for locking the bolt against iotationa Accordingly, the bolt willserve to hold the parts-in assembled relation without functioning as an axle -for the wheel and as wear i'iponthe'joui'nals 23 and bearings 28 OcCi'iIsthe nut- 40 on the bolt maybe 'tightene'd for taking upY such wear.v Furthermore, as will be no'ted, the4 .flanges 13 of the arins ofthe harpf form guards for the head of the boltand the nut thereon softhat the trolley Wli'eelwi'll not easily catch against overhead equipment.

Attention is now directed tothe fact that by i'ein'oving the bolt 39, the Wheehwith Vthe grease reservoirs 2G' assen'i'bledthereon, may

be bodily removed from-'the harp and since the reservoirs areinterchangeable thel wheel -.,i and reservoirs may, when the bearings 28 become worn a't'their lower sides', b'e turned sideV for side within the harp' so' that Vthe` nnworn portions of said bearings will beI disposed lbeneath thev journals 'of the Y wheel' axle: The usefulness of the' bearings may thusgbe greatly prolonged and, in ythis connection` it is' to bev noted that the filling valves for the reseryiors are, as showny`v inE Figure l, disposed in alignment with the arms of theharp so that said Valves will always be disposed at a predetermined elevation. Since the reservoirs-may be freely detached fron'i' the harp along with the wheel, these reservoirs may-be easily renew/'ed at' any time and, likewise, the thrust'washers 35 may also be readily renewed".A device may accordingly be= repaired with a minimum of difficulty. r

ion

Having thus described the invention, what .is claimed as new is:

l. A trolley including a wheel having an axle provided with rounded ends, a harp straddling the wheel, freely removable reservoirs interposed between the harp and axle and being separate therefrom, the reservoirs being provided with outer' side walls seating the harp and with inner side walls confronting the wheel. cup-shaped bearings extending through the reservoirs and fixed to the side walls thereof journaling the ends of said axle, and a fastening device extending through the harj the bearings and said axle and constituting a sole fastening means seein-ing the parts in assembled relation.

:2. A trolley including` a wheel having an axle provided with rounded ends, a harp straddling the wheel. freely removable reservoirs interposed between the harp and axle and being separate therefrom, the reservoirs being provided with outer side walls seating the harp and with inner side walls confronting the wheel, cup-shaped bearings extending` through the reservoirs and xed to the side walls thereof journaling the ends of said axle, and a fastening device extending through the harp, the bearings and said axle and constituting a sole fastening means securing the parts in assembled relation, said fastening device being adjustable for taking up wear on the bearings.

3. A trolley including a wheel having an axle provided with rounded ends, freely removable reservoirs flanking the wheel at opposite sides thereof and provided with inner and outer side walls, the outer side walls of the reservoirs being formed with seats, a harp having a fork engaging in said seats locking the reservoirs against rotation, cupsliaped bearings extending through the reservoirs and fixed to the side walls thereof journaling the ends of said axle, and a fastening device extending through the harp, the bearings and said axle and constituting a sole fastening means securing the parts in assembled relation.

4t. A trolley including a wheel having an axle provided with rounded ends, a harp straddling the wheel, freely removable reservoirs interposed between the harp and axle and being separate therefrom. the reservoirs being formed with outer side walls seating the harp and with inner side walls confronting the wheel, cup-shaped bearings extending through the reservoirs and fixed to the side walls thereof journaling the ends of said axle, said bearings havin-g their larger ends lying substantially flush with said inner side walls and provided at their smaller ends with flanges extending through said outer side walls, and a fastening device extending through the harp and axle fitting through said flanges and constituting a sole fastening inea-ns securing the parts in assembled relation.

A trolley including a wheel having an axle provided with rounded ends, freely re movable disc-shaped reservoirs flanking the wheel at opposite sides thereof and provided with flat inner side walls confronting the wheel and with spherical outer side walls having sea-ts therein, a harp having a forlr engaging in said seats locking the reservoirs against rotation, cup-shaped bear-4 ings extending through the reservoirs and fixed to the walls thereof journaling the ends of said axle, the bearings being provided at their outer ends with flanges ex* tending through the bottom walls of said seats, and a fastening device extending through the harp, the bearings and said axle fitting through said flanges and constituting a sole fastening means securing the parts in assembled relation.

G. A trolley including a harp having fork arms one .provided with an upstanding flange having a notch therein, freely removable individual reservoirs mounted upon said fork arms but being separate therefrom, a wheel lying between the reservoirs and journaled thereon, a bolt extending through the fork arms connecting the wheel therewith and constituting the sole fastening,` medium holding the reservoirs and wheel in assembled relation, a nut threaded upon said bolt, and means locking the nut against counter-rotation and engaging in said notch locking the bolt against turning movement.

7. A trolley including a wheel having an axle, a harp straddling the wheel, reservoirs interposed between the harp and axle and being free with respect thereto, said reservoirs having bearings open at their confronting ends to receive and journal the axle, washers surrounding the axle overlying the open end edges of said bearings, yieldable means pressing the washers outwardly against the bearings, and means extending through the harp and axle connecting the reservoirs with the harp and securing the parts in assembled relation.

8. A trolley including a wheel having an axle, a harp straddling the wheel, reservoirs interposed between the harp and axle and being free with respect thereto, said reservoirs having bearings open at their confronting ends to receive and journal said axle, washers surrounding the axle overlying the open end edges of said bearings, flat springs held under tension between the wheel and said washers pressing the washers outwardly against said bearings, and means extending through the harp and axle connecting the reservoirs with the harp and securing the parts in assembled relation.

9. A trolley including a wheel having an axle, a harp straddling the wheel, reservoirs interposed-between the harpfand axlefand being free with vrespect thereto, said reservoirs having bearings open at their confronting endsto receive-and journal said axle, washers surrounding the a-xleoverlying the open-end edges of said bearings, springs coacting between the wheel and said washers pressing the f washers --outwardly against the bearings, means locking the washers against rotation, andv means extend ingthrough the harp and 'axle connecting the reservoirs with theL harpf'and securing the parts in assembled relation. p

10. A trolley including awheel having an axle, a harp straddling the wheel, reser voirs interposed between the harp and axleV and being *free with *respect thereto, said reservoirs having bearings open at their confronting ends to receive and journal said axle, washers surrounding the axle overlying the open end edges of said bearings, springs coacting betweenthe wheel and said washers ,l pressing the 'washers outwardly against the bearings, means i C'oacting between the washers and 'the wheel-'locking the washersV against rotationand engaging said springs for locking the s'prings'against turning movement about fthe axle, land meansextending through the harpand axle connecting the reservoirs with-the axle and securingtheparts in assembled relation.

llpA trolley including a` wheel -having an axle, a'jharp straddling thewheeL-'reser voirs interposed betweenE theharp and axle and being `free with :respect thereto, said yreservoirs having `bearings openV at their confronting ends toV receive and journal said axle, kwashers surrounding the axle overlying the open end edges `of said bearings, springs coacting between the wheel and said washerspressing the washers outwardly against the bearings, the wheel .being provided with a hub having notches therein, lugs extending from said vwashers through the springs to engage in :said notches locking the washers against rotation as well as also locking the springs against turning movement about the axle, and means extending through the harp and said axle connecting the reservoirs with the harp and securing the parts in assembled relation. v

'12. A trolley including a wheel, a harp straddling the wheel, freely removable reservoirs interposed lbetween the wheel and harp and v being separate therefrom, v the reservoirs being interchangeablaand fastening means extendingthrough the harp,

the reservoirs and the wheel connecting the reservoirs with the harp and constituting the sole fastening medium securing the parts in assembled relation.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures.

MITCHELL W. THGMAS. i [L sl] JOHN L, FEARING. l[n s] 

